Some Australian media outlets broadcast footage of the Christchurch shootings despite New Zealand police strongly urging it not be shared.
Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

As New Zealand police and social media platforms scrambled to remove video of the Christchurch shootings – apparently live-streamed by one of the perpetrators – from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, several Australian media outlets broadcast some of the footage.

“Police are aware there is extremely distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online,” the police said in a statement. “We would strongly urge that the link not be shared. We are working to have any footage removed.”

New Zealand Police (@nzpolice)

Police are aware there is extremely distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online. We would strongly urge that the link not be shared. We are working to have any footage removed.

Facebook, which carried the live-stream from the shooter on Friday, co-operated with New Zealand police and deleted the shooter’s accounts.

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Sky News Australia repeatedly broadcast footage of the shooter at the mosque and Ten Daily embedded the footage on its website and social media posts. Neither showed the actual shootings or any victims.

The Ten Daily video remained online for several hours but was eventually taken down, along with all the stills from the video. Sky continued to show excerpts from the video.

brad esposito 🍃 (@bradesposito)

Ten Daily have embedded part of the alleged livestream with pre-roll, advertising a new show they have with the Bondi Vet. https://t.co/oNWfPzDprf

News.com.au published stills from the shooter’s video and included some footage from the gunman in his car and entering the mosque in an online video.

Channel Nine used some of the shooter’s footage, but stopped the video before the gunman entered the mosque.

The Herald-Sun promoted the video as “Gunman’s horrifying video inside New Zealand mosque”. But it stops the moment he enters the mosque.

The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, reiterated the police’s plea in a later media conference.

“We should not be perpetuating, sharing, giving any oxygen to this act of violence and the message that is sitting behind it,” Ardern said. “What all of us can at least do is ensure that we do not share, spread or actively engage in that message of hate. We have been given assurance that … at least those platforms where some of those images have been shared, are actively being removed. But I just ask people, don’t share them.”

Australia’s opposition leader, Bill Shorten, also urged people not to watch or share the footage.

“I found the advice of the New Zealand police force to be particularly wise,” he said.

“They have said, and I agree, do not allow this evil into our lives. Do not share the footage. Do not watch the footage. This is not part of normal life.

“The people who have committed this atrocity have wanted the attention. We should never normalise this. Do not share the footage. Do not watch the footage.”

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Facebook says it alerts authorities to threats of violence or violence as soon as it becomes aware through reports or Facebook tools.

“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this horrendous act,” Facebook executive for Australia and New Zealand, Mia Garlick, said.

“New Zealand police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the live-stream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video.

“We’re also removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware. We will continue working directly with New Zealand police as their response and investigation continues.”

The social media site uses a combination of technology, reports from the Facebook community and human review to remove any violating content.

The apparent manifesto of the shooter, which has been removed from his social media accounts, was shared by several media outlets, including ABC News, which read out an excerpt.

• Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day. In New Zealand, the crisis support service Lifeline can be reached on 0800 543 354. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Irish Republic, contact Samaritans on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.